Indian student offers to work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week without salary but why?

Every year, many Indian students go abroad for education, with some finding jobs and settling there, while others return to India. Recently, an Indian student has sparked a social media uproar after making a desperate yet bold offer to work for free in a last-ditch attempt to stay in the United Kingdom. Swetha Kothandan, a design engineer graduate based in Leicester, shared her struggle to secure a visa-sponsored job, despite applying to over 300 positions. With just three months remaining on her Graduate Visa, Swetha posted on LinkedIn, offering to work without pay in order to prove her abilities.

In her viral post, she pledged to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week, stating, “Hire me for free for one month. If I don’t deliver, fire me on the spot, no questions asked.” Her unconventional proposal, which also included sacrificing weekly time off, was seen as a sign of the tough job market facing international students in the UK post-graduation.

The student, who moved to the UK in 2021 for higher education, has faced a series of rejections over the past year, leaving her with limited options. “The job market feels like there’s no value for me, my degree, or my capabilities,” she said, expressing her frustration at being unable to secure a job that would allow her to stay beyond the expiration of her visa. She acknowledged that her post was a “final chance” to secure her future in the UK.

“My Graduate Visa EXPIRES in 3 months, repost this to help me stay in the UK. Hi, I’m an international student from India. I moved to the UK in 2021 with dreams of making it BIG. Since graduating in 2022, I’ve been tirelessly looking for a VISA-sponsored UK job,” she said in her post.

The student, who holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering, said in her post that she is specifically seeking “visa-sponsored design engineer roles.”

In her post, she also listed three points explaining what makes her a “great fit”, and added: “If you’re a UK employer hiring for design engineer roles, you won’t regret hiring me. I’ll work 12 hours per day and 7 days a week to prove my worth. If you’re an international student reading this, I would be eternally grateful if you could repost this.”

How the internet is reacting to the viral post

However, her bold offer has not been met with unanimous support. Social media has been divided, with many users expressing disapproval and concern over the potential consequences of her decision.

Several users advised her to refrain from working for free: “It’s absurd that you should need to offer yourself up to work for free or work such insane hours just to stay in the country you moved to. Wishing you all the luck in finding an opportunity!”

“No need to do this just for staying in UK. Believe in yourself. If you are smart and capable, you will shine anywhere in the world,” a comment read.

“This kind of desperation paints a bad image of Indians abroad and hurts genuine candidates who deserve a fair shot.”

“I couldn’t imagine what’s going through her mind right now, in 30 days she has to get a job or else it’s back to India with a huge loan to repay,” another empathised.

Indian students in UK